Books, the Boy, the Baby

A glimpse into the life of Teresa Buczinsky

Part 1: The Story of my Life in 100 Words

First the wind in the fir trees, horses eating out of my hands, angels everywhere.

“Can I go, Daddy?” Always, yes.

More stories, please. More magic. More.

“Little Red”

“Little Red loves her books.” Always, yes. And one boy in a Datsun pickup who drove me away from home.

Flagstaff’s snow piled deep. Navajos and Hopis in my classroom. More books. Couldn’t learn fast enough.

Then Chicago. Sweet home. Baby. Mortgage. School, school, school. Fifteen-hour days, holidays, friends, anniversaries, birthdays, papers, plans, more papers.

Deep breath. Time goes. Too fast. Here I am. Still learning. Still loving books, the boy, the baby.

Part 2: Graphing My Life

Part 3: Music That Moves Me

For my birthday many years ago, my husband bought two main floor tickets to see the Benjamin Britten opera, Peter Grimes, at the Lyric Opera House. We had very little extra money at the time, so this was an extravagant expense, and it was risky. We weren’t exactly opera fans. Neither of us knew what to expect, but when the music began rolling over us, we were overwhelmed by its beauty. The Sea Interludes were our favorite, but the choral numbers were also unforgettable. On this night I learned that two hundred trained human voices can be used as an assault weapon. The experience was frightening and beautiful. To hear the part of the Sea Interludes that still gives me goose bumps, fast forward to 7:45.

Part 4: Snapshot of a Moment — 9:00 p.m. on Friday night, Aug. 21, 2015

Reading my iPad beside a backyard fire.

Part 5: My Vine — A Typical Moment

Trying to master Crow pose.

Part 6: Famous People I Admire

Photo Credit: Somerville Public Library

Neil DeGrasse Tyson is the astrophysicist who heads the Hayden Planetarium in New York City. He devotes his life to teaching the world about our universe. I might have a little crush on him; my husband tolerates this.

Photo Credit: Emily’s Quotes

Lao Tzu was a philosopher and poet from ancient China. His words are some of the wisest I have ever encountered.

Photo Credit: National Post

Alice Munro’s short stories are the most beautiful examples of contemporary literature that I know. They are demanding, inspiring, and so carefully built that they seem like miracles.

Part 7: A Quote to Live By

“What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” — from poet Mary Oliver’s poem, “The Summer Day.”